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Plant pest problems

  • #21
Thank you growingold. I fould some plain old Neen Extract and will start with that.

I did have some aphids at the beginning of spring, which I'm used to. I saw the twisted pitchers rising up and looked closer and saw them on the pitchers. I have a garden safe 3-in-1 solution that always works for them. I mix it in a spray bottle. I usually see those at the beginning of every spring.

But the ones that keep dying are starting to just FAIL first... I don't know how to describe it. They will look sickly and weak. In some plants I am seeing these little black sugar ant type things nesting in the soil, but not all of the ones that are dying have those. The dead ones have no rhizome - it turns into an orange mush. I thought it was root rot because that happens to a few every year coming out of dormancy.

I wonder if there is anywhere I could take a sample to and have it tested?

Picture is worth a thousand words...

(no rhizome? orange mush? sounds like a fungus infection IMHO)
 
  • #22
I agree with Gill, lots of pics are good!
BUT, in regards to what you have mentioned, it sounds like they are rotting on their own & possibly the bugs are making use of a good available home. (Possibly too much moisture, wrong conditions of some sort... heat + humidity is often good, but too much can do harm...you know, the common sense things.) Find a plant doing decent, & un-pot it carefully to have a lookie.

I am big on examining things when a plant goes bad, and try to find out exactly what is happening.
Anyone who's ever had a poor compost heap or a garden with the old tomatoes & veggys tilled in can attest to the vast array of bugs that are attracted to the stink of that mushy rotting flesh of all those vegetative remains. :eek: In fact, your description of the rhizomes reminds me of when I have picked up a tomato or peach from the ground, only to discover the bottom is rotted & gross, as I see a host of tiny beetles, ants & other bugs fleeing in escape. :puke: Yuck! But indeed, that is what I am reminded of.
Yes you want to get rid of the bugs, for they will cause problems themselves, but I am unsure if they are the cause of the problem instead of just a symptom.

The neem seems a reasonable start, although I am not fond of the oil all over. But I have used it for things like scale, mealy bugs & such with no bad effect on my plants. The oily residue isn't great, and I am not sure if it will be a problem if using it to soak the soil, but seeing as the plants are outdoors, I am sure it will wash away in time.

As for actually addressing the problem, I think more investigation is needed. Just my thoughts.

Good Luck!
 
  • #23
I thought root rot at first due to perhaps being too wet over the winter, but as more and more keep dying and I am not keeping them too wet, I just can't figure it out. If anything I keep them too dry. I've tried taking pics but can't get any to turn out. When I do an insect search the bugs just look like little black sugar ants.
 
  • #24
Orthene wettable powder works well on Sarracenia. Neps too.

Flytraps... not so much.
 
  • #25
Good suggestion on more insecticides.
I saw this online & thought it had some info on long term control, which seems the only way to deal with the problem.

http://www.bugspray.com/article/ants.html

Part of the pleasures of living in the colder climates, is that many of the insects & nasties
can't take the cold... although many can! Cold bad for the plants, but also many bugs!
Seems nowhere is ideal for everything!

Again, good luck.
From what little I have seen on 20 minutes on the net, it seems ants can be a long term problem that may have to be dealt with on an on-going basis.

ADDITION:
Here's another insecticide post that may help:
http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127192
 
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  • #26
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  • #27
Any update here? Solution found, plants saved?
 
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